Ships in the Night
by sassyduck
Summary: Prompted drunk!Killian singing to Emma. M for later chapters.
1. Chapter 1

This fic refers to two songs:

"Ships in the Night" by Mat Kearney

and "Fáinne Gael en Lae" sung by Na Casaidigh

Do give the second one a listen (either now or when it appears in the story), because Gaelic sounds very different from how it's written.

Emma walked, hands in her pockets, a light breeze playing with the few strands of hair that had escaped her coat collar. It was a surprisingly warm evening for early April, the break in the weather making her feel restless for some reason, sending her wandering through the town. She had been trying to get through some more paperwork until she realized that she had read the same paragraph five times and had simply given up.

She was startled when she recognized the sound of the waves breaking apart on the shore, unaware that she had drifted so close to the beach. The bright hues of the recently set sun were mesmerizing as they reflected on the water, and the first few stars were beginning to show. Emma leaned against a railing and looked out across the rippling water, her eyes closing as the rhythmic sound soothed the ached at the base of her neck.

She didn't know how long she had been standing there when she realized that someone was singing, the music barely audible over the sound of the waves. Emma opened her eyes, surprised to see Killian several yards down the beach, his lips moving in time with the music she assumed was streaming through his headphones, the occasional flick of his wrist sending pebbles sailing out into the water. She found herself drawn towards him, her footsteps barely disturbing the rocky shore as she sat on a large piece of driftwood while he sang:

_"Turn the lights down low_

_Walk these halls alone_

_We can feel so far_

_From so close_

_Like ships in the night_

_You keep passing me by_

_Just wasting time_

_Trying to prove who's right_

_And if it all goes crashing into the sea_

_If its just you and me_

_Trying to find the light_

_Like ships in the night"_

"Where did you get an iPod?" Emma asked.

Killi—_Hook_ dropped the rest of the stones and whirled around, his hand reaching for a sword that no longer hung at his side. He bowed when he saw her, his arms going out to accent the graceful gesture and his face splitting into a grin as his eyes met hers. "Miss Swan, what a pleasant surprise. What brings you out here this fine evening?

Emma smirked at him, not missing the way he dodged her question. "Where did you get it, Hook?"

He righted himself and removed the sleep mp3 player from his pocket. "Oh, the music box? I won it from Dr. Whale in a game called Poker. Have you heard of it? I think you would be quite good at it."

Emma shook her head as she tried not to laugh, the boyish delight on his face infectious. He just grinned at her and replaced the iPod before snagging the neck of a glass bottle that had been resting on the shore next to him. He took a long swig, his eyes never leaving hers, before holding the bottle out to her as an offering.

"That better not be alcohol, Hook…it's illegal to drink in public."

Killian just smiled as he sauntered over to her and plopped down on the log at her side. "But we're not in public, Love." He gestured to the empty beach before them. "Only us two wee souls on the edge of the great salty sea."

Emma glared at him. "You're drunk."

He just smiled and put his arm around her shoulder. "That is where you are most definitely wrong, Love." He took another swig from the bottle. "I am still in the process of drinking."

She just sighed and stood, using the arm around her shoulders to drag him to his feet and follow her back towards town. "My place or yours?" he whispered in his ear, his warm breath making her shiver unconsciously.

"I'm putting you in a cell to sober up," she shot at him as she tamped down on the heat trying to spread through her body. She was _not_ going to sleep with Captain Hook. Especially not while he was drunk!

"Going to chain me up again?" he asked quietly, the words unintentionally slipping out before he could hold them in.

Emma stopped dead in her tracks, her teeth grinding from her frustration and—surprisingly—guilt. When she started walking again, she turned them towards Granny's instead, the lead weight in her gut lessening some. They walked in somewhat companionable silence, Killian only using his hold on her shoulders to balance himself every once in a while, until he started singing again, his soft, resonant voice filling the air around her:

_"Maidin moch do ghabhas amach_

_Ar bhruach Locha Léin_

_An Samhradh 'teacht 's an chraobh len' ais_

_Is ionrach te ón ngréin_

_Ar thaisteal dom trí bhailte poirt_

_Is bánta mine réidhe_

_Cé a gheobhainn le m'ais ach an chúileann des_

_Le fáinne geal an lae."_

"What language is that?" Emma asked, afraid of breaking the magic of the moment but too curious to be able to hold the words back.

Killian gave a low chuckle. "Irish Gaelic, apparently. My tongue seems to have a knack for it. I'm not sure why." They continued in silence for a few moments before he added, "I can keep going, if you want."

"Sure," Emma said a little too quickly, eager for the magic that his singing brought to return.

Killian sang through two more verses as they maneuvered through the inn's door and up the narrow flight of stairs to his borrowed room, the final sentence hanging in the air as Emma steered him towards his bed.

"Coming in for a goodnight kiss, Love?"

She dropped him on the bed. "You think you're real charming, don't you? What are you singing about, how to milk the cows and grow potatoes and drink yourself to death?"

His lips twisted in his so-no-amused smile, and she pulled the blanket that graced the foot of the bed up to his chin. "Sleep tight," she said as she kissed his forehead gently and turned towards the door, only to be stopped short when his fingers twisted in her own.

She looked back at him and was pierced by the blue of his eyes, his gaze more naked than she had ever seen. "Stay with me." He swallowed. "Please?"

Emma frowned at him. "I am not going to have sex with you, Killian."

He pursed his lips at her. "That's not what I was asking, Love. I…don't want to be alone." She could see how much the admission cost him. His lids drew shut, perhaps not wanting to see her reaction to his next statement. "I don't want you to leave me."

Killian didn't open his eyes in the silence that followed. Emma simply stood there, waiting for the fear and unease to kick in and make her want to run. But they didn't. She blinked and searched herself again, still unable to find anything but a warm fluttering in the pit of her stomach. _Maybe it would be ok_, she thought as her fingers slid around his hook and twisted it from its mount. "One rule," she said, smiling as his eyes snapped open in shock. "This stays on the bedside table."

She slid under the blanket and he gathered her in his arms, his nose nestling in her hair as he inhaled deeply. Her eyes drifted closed as Killian did his best to fit the English words into the place of their Gaelic counterparts, lulling Emma towards sleep:

_"One morning early I went out_  
_On the shore of Lough Leinn_  
_The leafy trees of summertime,_  
_And the warm rays of the sun,_  
_As I wandered through the townlands,_  
_And the luscious grassy plains,_  
_Who should I meet but a beautiful maid,_  
_At the dawning of the day._

_Not a shoe, nor sock, nor cape, nor cloak_

_Had the maiden from the sky_

_Her golden hair in tresses hung_

_And touched the grass up high_

_In her hand she held a milking pail_

_In the dew she looked so fair_

_Her beauty excelled even Helen of Troy_  
_At the dawning of the day._

_The young maiden sat by my side_

_On a green grassy bench_

_Joking her and claiming_

_That I'd never part with her_

_She turned and said, "Please go away,"_  
_You are not wide awake"_  
_Here come the lights, I must be gone_  
_With the dawning of the day."_


	2. Chapter 2

The pleasant weight of sleep lay across her shoulders, her eyelids bobbing open and closed as moonlight caught in her lashes. She wasn't exactly sure what had woken her, but Emma lazed there in the place between dreaming and waking, a feeling of utter relaxation and well being tucked around her.

The weight on her shoulders shifted, and a few strands of her hair were readjusted. Her head lolled to the side, and Emma came face to face with Killian, his breath falling softly across her cheek. His eyes slowly focused on her face, his thoughts returning to the present from some place and time far removed, and he gave her the slightest of smiles as he started humming faintly. The melody caught at something in the back of her mind, thought she couldn't exactly place it in the slight haze that clouded her thoughts. Her eyelids fluttered closed for a moment as his thumb rubbed small circles along her jaw. Had she been properly awake, she would have been surprised at his tenderness, but her unguarded self relished in being taken care of for once.

_It's actually rather nice, waking up next to him._

He had nearly lulled her back to sleep when the errant thought snuck across her mind, and her eyes popped open in disbelief. Killian's brow knitted slightly as she searched within herself, looking for an ounce of a lie in the sentiment, but she found none. She hadn't much practice waking up with anyone in a bed—after all, it wasn't like she and Neal had actually ever lived anywhere permanently—but it wasn't that, either.

_She wanted Killian._

As infuriating as he was, as rocky as their alliance turned rivalry turned tentative friendship had been…she liked having him in her life. She _liked_ how he made her feel, as surprising as that was given that she had been running from feeling for the better portion of her life. She _wanted_ to feel everything he had already re-awakened in her—and more.

She wanted to kiss him.

So she did, her fingers gently pulling at the nape of his neck as her lips found his, her eyes fluttering closed as his stubble scraped against her skin and his lips melted into hers. Her heart pounded in her chest, sure and strong as it beat against the remnants of the walls that had contained it for so long, practically singing at the feel of his surprisingly soft mouth on her own.

But he wasn't leaning into the kiss, wasn't pulling her against him…wasn't really reacting at all. Emma pulled back, her eyes snapping open and her fingers flying to cover her offending mouth as a red tide of embarrassment flooded her face.

"I…you didn't…you don't…" she stuttered as she scooted towards the other side of the bed, internally cursing herself. _She_ had been the one to say sex was off limits, she had been avoiding this very confrontation for over a year, and yet she had been the one to grab _him_.

And he hadn't kissed her back.

* * *

Killian could feel her slipping away, her warmth retreating across the bed as she fled. He had been so shocked to feel her lips against his, so entranced by the way her fingers were curling in his hair and holding him to her, that he had been completely frozen. But her sudden retreat spurred him into action, his hand flying out so his fingers could lock around her wrist. Killian pulled her back to his side, his lips crashing down on hers with all the force of a tidal wave, his hand threading into her hair as he held her close. She gasped, and Killian's tongue slid along the edge of her lips, the taste of her sending sparks shooting into his fingertips. Her fingers fisted in his shirt, her head angling slightly to fit her mouth tighter to his as her lips parted on a small moan.

The moment that her tongue brushed against his, Killian knew he was lost. She tasted clean and wild, and he wanted to pull every ounce of her within his being until she was an immovable piece of him. Instead, he settled for pulling her body the last fraction of an inch flush against his, their feet tangled together in the warm pocket at the bottom of the bed.

She was the first to pull back, her hands gently pressing against his chest as she drew deep, rapid breaths. Killian opened his eyes and searched the set of her features for evidence of annoyance or reluctance or the desire to bolt again. He was startled at just how naked her expression was, how _timid_ she seemed as she gazed up at him through her lashes, and he was struck by an absurd notion that perhaps it had been as long for her as it had been for him. He had not had a lover since Milah—had not the opportunity while in Neverland, and then had not the earnest desire until his Swan had pulled him from the wreckage—and he was humbled at the possibility that being here meant as much to her as it did to him.

That still didn't mean he didn't miss the spitfire who always kept him on his toes and bested him on more than one occasion. A grin spread across his features as he resolved to coax that sass and confidence out of her. His head dipped, lips settling ever so delicately in the hollow beneath her jaw. The pulse fluttering there jumped at the contact, her fingers unwittingly contracting in his shirt, her fingernails scraping against his chest ever so slightly. Killian had to tamp down on the lust that surged through his veins. He forced his fingers to ghost down the tendons of her neck and across the elegant ridge of her collarbone instead of rushing to find the more delicate flesh he so wanted to explore. She was going to be with him every step of the way—and equal in both temper and passion—even if it killed him.

His lips searched along the top of her jaw, and he delighted in the soft moan that escaped her lips when he found a sensitive spot just behind the lobe of her ear. His teeth flashed out to tease her soft flesh, and she reflexively arched into him, her hips colliding with his. Killian groaned but did not increase the pressure of his mouth or the pace of his fingers as they eased along the collar of her shirt. The garment didn't scoop so low that he would come into contact with the flesh of her magnificent breasts, but he was confident that the tantalizing nearness would be enough to stoke the fire within her to new heights. He thought he could hear a grunt of frustration as his fingers continued back up to the opposite shoulder and then down the outside of her arm, and he grinned to himself before blowing gently on the now moist flesh of her neck. Emma gasped slightly, shivering as she pulled his mouth back to hers for another passionate kiss that did funny things to Killian's ability to reason. He bit her tongue ever so gently and was rewarded as her unsteady fingers started tearing at the buttons holding his shirt closed. She ripped the tails out of his trousers, her hands smoothing up his bared torso, brushing against his nipples as she reached for his shoulders, easing the fabric back until she had access to as much skin as she could get.

Her lips fastened in the hollow beneath his Adam's apple as eased the fabric down her arms. Killian eased on top of her, releasing the weight from his arms so that she could rid him of the offending garment. He could feel the moment her fingers ran into the leather straps encasing his left forearm, her body stilling completely beneath his.

Stupid, stupid, _stupid_. Killian rolled onto his back, cursing himself. Of all the moronic, dim-witted, mood-ruining…it wasn't like he was in the habit of taking the base off except for washing, but if his brain hadn't been so addled by the rum, he would have thought of it, he was sure…

Emma's fingers tugged at his arm as she methodically pulled leather straps from buckles until the cuff that had encompassed his arm from elbow to wrist slid free. She brushed his skin gently, her lips ghosting over the jagged scar at the base of his wrist and up to the crook of his elbow. She looked up at him as her teeth nipped hesitantly at his flesh, her hand curving reassuringly around his waist.

_So this must be what it feels like to fly_, Killian thought, his body filled with the most indescribable mix of relief and arousal and…joy. He bent down to her, his lips caressing hers with a tenderness he hadn't know was still within him. Emma shifted, gradually easing into his lap, her long legs winding themselves around his waist as she pulled him the rest of the way to sitting, her arms crossing between them as she pulled the hem of her shirt towards their tangled mouths. She pulled away just long enough to toss the garment away, her lips returning to his the moment the fabric was clear. Killian caught her curls as they tumbled down her back, his fingers burrowing through them, the combination of silken hair and satin skin distracting as he sought the miniature hooks of her undergarment. As 'advanced' as this land believed itself to be, they still used a majority of the methods for fastening clothes—and especially lingerie—that had been used for hundreds of years before, and, while not an easy feat to accomplish with one hand, he managed to unfasten it after only a handful of seconds of difficulty. The weight of her breasts settled against his chest, his gut clenching as he felt her nipples pebble against him. He growled, taking the hardened flesh in his mouth, teeth and tongue lavishing Emma's breast until she arched her back towards him, her head falling back as the sexiest noises he had ever heard were ripped from her throat.

He wrapped his left arm around her, his hand easing between them and past the hem of her jeans, no longer able to hold back from exploring her hot secrets for himself. He pushed past her soft curls, her slick heat greeting him as he found the pearl of her desire. The wild moan that his touch elicited shot straight to his core, and it was almost an agony to not be inside her at that moment. He stroked her gently, his fingers unwavering in their pursuit of the exact spot, speed, and pressure that would make her—

Emma cried out, her hands fastening on his shoulders as her hips rocked against him, her desire flowing around his fingers as he grinned into the base of her neck. He didn't relent, his motions pushing her higher and higher, ever closer to her release. Killian pulled back and looked up at her, sensing the moment drawing nearer and wanting to remember the moment in absolute detail. She gasped, her whole body rocking as she pulled her head up. Her gaze pierced him to his soul, her lips trembling as she looked at him. "Killian…" she whispered, and then her head lolled back, every muscle going rigid as an orgasm crashed through her.

He held her close as they rode the wave together, her body gradually relaxing back into him. They stilled for a moment, her face buried in his neck, his arms immovably wrapped around her, but Emma didn't stay still for long. Desire still burned deep in her—the same, intense desire that had taken root in Killian—and she pushed him back to the bed before unceremoniously stripping them both of any remaining clothing. His heart contracted painfully in his chest as she rose over him, her fingers smoothing over the muscles in his abdomen as she took him inside her, inch by agonizing inch, until her hips settled against his. Her eyes fluttered closed, her mouth forming a delicate "O" as she started to move, her flesh sliding over his with ever increasing intensity. Killian arched his hips to meet her, their movement making her breasts sway and her hair tumble around her shoulders. His hand slid up her body to capture one tempting nipple, and he could feel her clench around him in excitement. _Not yet_, he though, forcing his level of arousal to the back of his mind as he teased her body. _Not finished yet. Not finishing without her_. He pulled her down to him, his lips fastening on her ear as his hips pumped into her. "Don't leave me behind, lass," he growled, clinging to his last scrap of control. "Come with me, Emma."

She cried out as she crashed over the edge once more, pulling him with her, their voices as tangled in passion as their bodies.


End file.
